Happy Thanksgiving! This week we are having a ‘Best of’ issue of Authors Publish. We are also publishing it on Tuesday (as you may have noticed), so that it does not encroach on your holiday. We are taking time off this week to visit our family, and to take a much needed break. We are…

If you are writing a novel, you can give the main character a break and use him or her in this writing prompt. If you don’t have any characters at your immediate disposal, create one for this prompt. In this prompt, the main character receives an inheritance, not from a parent but from a wealthy…

Last Updated December 2017 Shimmer is an online journal that specializes in publishing speculative fiction. They largely publish contemporary fantasy short stories, although they are also open to science fiction and horror. They favor stories that are burdened by sadness, but have space for the occasional humorous ones as well. Shimmer is one of the…

When I was first starting out as a writer, I had no desire to submit to literary journals. I did not really understand what function they served. I also didn’t know how many there were out there; I just thought they were a small niche marketplace. I had a few publications which were mostly in…

Juked is an established journal that was founded in 1999. They publish poems, short stories, narrative non-fiction, and essays. They are a print journal that also publishes work electronically. Unlike most print journals that put selected content online, Juked publishes original work electronically. They are always looking for different material to put in their magazine…

UPDATED FEBRUARY 2018 Andrews McMeel is a large publishing house that publishes up to 300 books a year. They are one of the largest publishers that will read proposals by authors that have not been previously published and do not have an agent. Andrews McMeel Publishing is a leading publisher of general nonfiction trade books,…

The Account is a relatively new online journal that publishes poetry, creative non-fiction, flash fiction, and short stories. When I look at new journals, ones that only have an issue or two out, I look for various indicators of quality that are different from those of more established journals. First I look at the website…

Your main character is stuck on a small island with only three items. You get to decide what three items. They could be deeply practical items like a water filter and a lighter or they can be purely random, unpractical items like lipstick and hairspray. The main character must be alone. There are no…